Whole
by Subtlynice
Summary: After centuries of waiting, the Cullen family is finally complete. Rosalie observes as the last piece of their puzzle finally slots into place. Breaking Dawn missing moment. Oneshot, canon pairings. Cullen family fluff!


Whole

_After centuries of waiting, the Cullen family is finally complete. Rosalie observes as the last piece of their puzzle finally slots into place. Rosalie POV.  
_

* * *

She was sleeping.

A tiny tendril of hair curled across her forehead.

Renesmee Carlie Cullen was sleeping soundly in my lap. I could hear, feel, see every movement she made. Every rise and fall of her delicate chest. Every twitch of her tiny fingers. Every soft sound from her lips.

She was fast asleep, lying comfortably in my lap. Completely at ease.

I, meanwhile, was terrified.

Despite wanting nothing less for more than half a century, I'd never held a baby before.

I was sure that if somebody were to see me now, they would find the expression on my face hilarious. I was trying – and failing – to keep my composure, but it failed me. I had never been one to hide my feelings. I knew better than anybody else how stubborn and arrogant I could be. What was the point in containing my emotions?

Like now, for instance. Now, however worried I was, I couldn't contain the smile that rose to my lips. I was frowning, but smiling – a ridiculous combination, I knew. But I just couldn't stop.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

My husband stood silhouetted in the half-light of dawn, stooping slightly beneath the doorframe, to avoid brushing his head of unruly dark curls on Esme's framework. He was grinning broadly at me.

"On second thoughts, forget it. I don't need to hear what you're thinking. It's written all over your pretty face."

"Watch it," I warned him. He hadn't technically jibed me, but I knew Emmett well. Surely the next words from his mouth would be a dig at my current besotted expression.

He surprised me though, shaking his head and holding up his hands in mock surrender. I eyed him warily, but he said nothing. Instead, he strolled further into the room, straightening up as he made his way towards the couch.

"So, what's the – "

"_Shh!"_

Emmett paused. He looked as though he wasn't sure whether to be amused or disgruntled. He settled – like I had, just a few moments earlier – for a mixture of both.

"What did I say?" he asked with a rueful smile, trying and failing to whisper.

"_You'll wake the baby,"_ I explained quietly.

He snorted. "If that racket" – he jerked his head over to the other couch, on which the werewolf was snoring, quite oblivious to our presence – "doesn't faze her, I doubt I will."

I shot a glare in the direction of said 'racket' for good measure, and then turned back to my husband. He was now staring at the little girl on my lap, seemingly entranced. He sat down beside me, without taking his eyes from her.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" I cooed, softly. Emmett hesitated, then touched his big hand slowly to our niece's petite fingers. Even in her sleep, she emitted a soft gasp at his cool touch, then curled her whole palm around one large finger, squeezing experimentally. I watched delightedly, as Emmett gulped – not from pain, but from obvious emotional connection he already shared with Renesmee.

"Yep," he agreed after a moment more. "She'll be a heartbreaker."

I snorted, dispelling the poignant atmosphere. "Good," I said truthfully. "Then I hope she breaks the mutt's pathetic excuse for a _heart_."

I glanced over again at the sleeping boy huddled up on the other sofa. He was still snoring in his sleep, limbs splayed out in all directions. He let out a great gust of breath and I grimaced, wrinkling up my nose in distaste. The dog still smelt _disgusting_.

"Easy there, Rose," Em chuckled, and he suddenly turned to me with a familiar gleam in his eye. "Then again, I think Bella might just agree with you."

I narrowed my eyes. Despite the close bond I'd formed with Bella over the past few weeks, she had been very insistent to assure me that the dog wasn't a threat. Why anyone would want to be in his presence while lying on their deathbed was beyond my knowledge.

"Ten bucks says she welcomes the dog into her daughter's life with open arms," I hissed, hugging Renesmee closer to my chest.

Em laughed boisterously. "You're on," he said. "I bet she'll go straight for his windpipe. Now, there's a fight I'd like to see…"

I laughed, despite myself. Yes, now that, I would most definitely like to see. "Hopefully she'll get a few snaps in too, before his _puppies_ intervene." I jerked my head towards the door where Seth and Leah Clearwater were still anxiously on guard.

Emmett just laughed at my scorn. He smiled at me for a while, and then lowered his eyes once more to the sleeping child between us.

"Think you can trust me with her?" he asked playfully. "I mean, Edward probably won't be too pleased if I use my charm and wit to lure his impressionable young daughter over to the dark side, but I'd like to hold my niece and I think it's safest to do so while she's asleep."

I laughed. It was so like Emmett to downplay his enthusiasm by cracking a joke. Barely concealing my own excitement, I lifted the beautiful baby in my arms and set her gently down on my husband's lap.

"You would have made a fantastic father, you know," I told him. I'd tried to sound casual, even bored, but the charade faded as soon as he looked at me. There was no use in pretending. Not to him.

"Rose," he whispered. Emmett was the only person I'd ever allow to shorten my name. 'Rose' sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else. But not from him.

"Em..."

He reached out with his free arm and pulled me tighter into his side. Towards Renesmee.

"Rosie, don't be sad," he said. He wasn't pleading, or even comforting me. His voice was calm and easy. It gave me strength rather than self-pity.

"She's everything I've ever...," I began, and then broke off, quickly. It was painful enough to see Emmett holding a child that wasn't ours. I knew it would be even more painful to admit it. I turned away from my husband. I didn't want him to see the longing behind my eyes. I didn't want my weakness to overcome me. Not now, when everyone else was so _happy_.

"She may not be ours," Emmett said gently. "But we're still hers. See? Look."

He held up his finger, still clutched in the little girl's fist.

"We can be whatever she needs us to be," he continued. "This family's been incomplete for too long. But you and Esme can be happy now. You're hers. Her aunt, her grandmother... her family. And you'll be there for her, right from the beginning. Every moment... you'll experience so much with her, Rose. She's the perfect addition to this family. She needs us, in whatever role."

I half-choked on the lump swelling up in my throat, but I held stubbornly to my pride. Although honest and blunt, Emmett's words always calmed me unlike any others. He was right – she wasn't mine, but I was hers. I nodded, unable to speak in that moment.

A soft mewl broke through my thoughts. Renesmee's eyelids quivered.

"She's… she's waking up," Emmett breathed, uncharacteristically quiet as he gently brushed aside a stray curl of hair. I felt another pang of longing at the gesture, but it no longer upset me. I didn't need to feel upset any longer. This was my niece, the darling little girl of our family. How could I long for something that was already ours?

Not mine. She wasn't mine, but she was ours.

Well, she was _Bella's_ in the strictest sense. But if Bella was part of our family now, we each had a claim to this stunning little beauty. I realised now, how foolish I'd been in my jealousy of Bella. Her humanity was not something for me to be jealous of – it was a gift to us all. I didn't say this out loud – it was rare for me to admit a mistake, and Emmett's teasing would be infinite. But all the same, as I looked into the eyes of the waking child in my husband's arms, it was the happiest I'd ever been to be wrong.

I heard a patter of footsteps at Emmett's words, and Esme peeked almost shyly around the door.

"She's awake?"

"Just about," I told her, knowing that Renesmee was just as precious to Esme as she was to me. Esme had initially been the only family member I'd really bonded with after my change. We'd lamented our losses together – Esme's own sickly baby boy, and my dead hopes of a little boy with Henry's dimples…

"Renesmee?" Esme asked gently, kneeling over the waking child in Emmett's lap. "Hello. Hello my darling, beautiful baby granddaughter!"

Carlisle knocked softly on the open door, alerting us to his presence. Esme positively glowed as she saw him, and his own answering smile was so bright it rivalled the very sun. Carlisle loved family. The little girl we were all clustered around must have been as extraordinary to him as she was to Edward.

"May I?" Esme asked, gesturing to Renesmee.

"Of course." Renesmee yawned and stretched as Emmett lifted her expertly and lightly placed her tiny body in Esme's arms. Esme sighed, as though a heavy burden had suddenly been removed from her back. She whispered loving phrases to Renesmee, whose eyelids were now fluttering open and closed very rapidly, trying to blink away the last remaining dregs of sleep.

"Where's Edward?" Emmett asked.

"Still at Bella's side," Carlisle replied with a sigh. "He didn't want to leave her. It's understandable, of course."

A collective sigh spread across the room.

"Can we join in the fun?"

Jasper stood in the doorway, smiling despite his apprehension of the change occurring upstairs. Alice was by his side. She wasn't smiling. She seemed frozen in place, her eyes locked on Esme. Her hand twitched suddenly – as though she was restraining herself.

"I'm sure we can share her," Esme laughed. Everyone but Alice joined in and we all looked towards her now.

"Would you like to hold her, Alice?" asked Carlisle gently. Alice's expression was almost comical. Strangely uncertain but eager, she rushed to Esme's side, only to draw back.

"I... I don't know how to... I mean, I've never..."

"It's okay," said Esme. She lifted Renesmee into a sitting position on her lap, and the intuitive child peered curiously up at Alice.

Alice nodded and knelt at Esme's feet, at eye-level to the baby in front of her.

Alice knew nothing of her human past. She lived for the future, never realising what could have been if she'd experienced a normal life. There was one passion Alice had always held strong. Family. Born alone, dogged by visions of Jasper and Carlisle, the compulsion for family had always been there. And Renesmee was a part of our family now.

"Hello, baby," she whispered. "I'm Alice."

She glanced up at me, obviously still nervous. I nodded encouragingly.

"I'm your auntie," she continued. "I'm your daddy Edward's little sister."

Renesmee looked innocently up at her. Then, she reached up, lifting one hand towards Alice. Alice's eyes widened. She looked to Esme for guidance. "Should I – "

"Go on," Esme encouraged. "She must want to show you something."

Alice nodded, already aware of the new arrival's extraordinary talent. She bent forwards cautiously and pressed the very tip of her finger against Renesmee's outstretched hand.

"Oh!"

I smiled. What would Alice make of little Renesmee's gift, I wondered? She knew of it, but this was the first time Alice had touched her niece. I wondered what Renesmee was showing her.

Alice suddenly giggled.

"It's like a vision," she whispered, entranced. "But it's of the past. She's remembering her dada, aren't you, you clever girl? Yes, that's your dada. My brother. He's a silly man, isn't he? Always fretting. But everything's fine now, you'll see. We'll make dada laugh lots more from now on."

Alice sighed, finally relaxing fully. She broke their connection to gently brush a lock of curly red hair from Renesmee's face.

"Well, I'm glad the headaches are gone, but why in the world can I not see something as beautiful as you, sweetheart?"

We all laughed as Alice pouted.

"Actually, I have a theory about that," Carlisle said, but Alice seemed too engrossed in whatever Renesmee was showing her now to respond.

"Yes, that's right. And we're going to have so much fun, aren't we Renesmee?" Alice said, surprising me by tickling the little girl's stomach as she spoke in a soft coo. Maybe Renesmee's presence was bringing back the human Alice, the girl none of us really knew. Perhaps Alice's sister, the elusive Cynthia had enjoyed this playful banter…

"Yes we are, yes we are," Alice continued, putting on a silly voice for Renesmee's enjoyment. "Auntie Alice can see it now. As soon as mommy Bella's back is turned, you and I are going to go on a big girly shopping spree! You'll like that, won't you, my little girl? Your auntie has always wanted someone to buy those little princess outfits for…"

Alice babbled on excitedly, and I watched in amazement as she pulled the girl towards her and bounced Renesmee – now fully awake and laughing freely – on her lap. Jasper simply beamed at his wife, no doubt picking up on the untainted joy spreading throughout the room.

"Carlisle?"

The smiles wavered, as we froze in place. Though he was still upstairs, Edward's voice was easily heard by all.

I heard a sigh. "No," he said, though I would never know whose thoughts he was replying to. "If you could… I don't want to leave… but I…"

It was rare to hear Edward so lost for words. Of course, melodramatic as he was, he was never decisive about anything – be it Bella or vampirism or sex – my idiot brother never had a clue about what he wanted from his eternal life. Still, he'd never been quite this uneasy before.

And I'd never before been as in tune with him as I was now. Without another word, I knew exactly what he was trying to say.

"I'll take her," I said, lifting my arms towards Renesmee. Alice, being as intuitive as she was, offered her up to me without another word.

"Thank you," Edward said quietly.

All eyes were on me as I lifted Renesmee carefully into my arms and made my way upstairs. I felt a little uneasy as I did so. I hadn't been up here since Renesmee was born. Now, I was going back into the room where Bella's blood had been spilt... where I had lost all control...

I pushed open the door. Edward sat with his back to me, clutching one of Bella's hands between both of his. Her heart was beating quickly, but steadily. She lay on the bed, perfectly still. Her hair and dress had been smoothed out – by Alice no doubt – and if it were not for Edward's presence, I would have snorted at her chosen apparel. As it was, all I felt was pain for the couple before me.

"How is she?" I asked Edward. He didn't turn around.

"Quiet," was his only reply.

"Any change?"

"No."

The baby in my arms chose that moment to coo joyfully, having just caught sight of her father's dark silhouette.

He spun instantly at the noise. His hair was dishevelled, I noted, as if he'd been constantly running his fingers through the messy strands since the beginning of Bella's transformation. His eyes – amber flecked with ruby – looked tired, if that was even possible. But as they fixed upon his daughter, they sparked back into life, shining with excitement.

"May I..." He trailed off, still gazing at the miraculous little girl.

I chuckled. "Edward, she's your daughter. You don't have to ask."

He shook his head dumbly. "My daughter. I'm a father. It's all still so surreal."

He looked dazed and a little idiotic.

I decided he needed a little push.

"Earth to Edward? Do you want to hold her or not?"

He blinked. "I've never..."

"Neither had I. Or Emmett. Or Alice. We've all done okay. And she's a tough girl. She has vampire genes, remember? You won't hurt her."

He looked relieved at my last words and began to raise his arms eagerly. Then he stopped, raising one eyebrow instead.

"You let _Emmett_ hold her?"

"Oi!" my husband shouted from downstairs. We both laughed.

Renesmee let out a cry of frustration and began squirming in my arms, trying to reach out for her father.

"Here, it's okay, he's here," I cooed, taking the last few steps and settling her softly down onto Edward's lap. The brief moment of humour was gone. He looked down at the child with a mixture of veneration and terror. Then he very slowly brought his hands up to curl around her small body.

"Renesmee," he whispered, holding her in both outstretched arms, to better gaze into her eyes. "My daughter."

She giggled as he brought her closer to his chest, and he brushed one finger gently down her cheek, watching as she grabbed a hold of his hand and examined her father's palm curiously.

Edward was examining her just as intensely.

"She's…" He stared, transfixed.

"I know," I told him. I, too, had been lost for words when I held her.

As if my words had brought him out of a trance, Edward looked up at me.

"Thank you," he whispered. "For saving her."

I ducked my head. I wasn't used to feeling so guilty – I usually liked to brush such feelings away – but I couldn't let him thank me.

"I lost control. I... I thought my feelings for the child would be enough to overcome the thirst, but – "

"I meant for not letting me... thank you for helping _Bella_. But we've all lost control before. We were counting on Carlisle to be there for the procedure. I couldn't have done it alone. If you'd been hunting too – "

"Edward," I said, shaking my head. "You did most of the work. Congrats, you saved her life _again_. Take the credit for once, will you? You don't have to be so chivalrous all the time."

"But – "

"Enough. I'm not fussing over who saved who. The end result is what matters – who cares how it happened, when there's a girl as beautiful as Renesmee here?"

At the mention of her name, Edward turned back to his daughter.

"She is beautiful," he agreed, smiling so joyfully that I almost didn't recognise him. Was this really Edward? What had happened to the morose, lonely brother I knew?

"Beautiful, darling child," he whispered softly. "Beautiful baby girl. Hello, Renesmee. You look just like your mama. Just like your beautiful mama, Bella..."

He glanced back anxiously at the still woman on the bed beside him.

"She'll be okay, Edward," I told him. "If I've learnt one thing about Bella over the last few years, it's that she's a survivor. She's strong."

He smiled.

"I do have to apologise, Rosalie," he said adamantly. "I've treated you unacceptably for the last few weeks. My primary concern was Bella. Your primary concern was Renesmee. I was too blinded by my fear to see how wonderful she was – _is_ – and I knew that you held my daughter's life in higher esteem than Bella's. I lashed out. I'm sorry."

"Well, yes," I agreed – after all, he had treated me pretty harshly over the last few weeks. Who was I to disagree?

Edward grinned. "Feeling sorry for yourself, were you?"

"Just a little."

I'd been Bella's sole confidant and advisor for weeks. If it weren't for Esme and Emmett, I'd have been her sole protector too. And all for a girl with such a lack of self-awareness that she'd scoffed at the idea of motherhood just weeks before supplicating herself, pregnant and scared into my arms.

I guess I did deserve some congratulations.

"Congratulations, then," Edward chortled.

I grinned and moved away to the sidelines, not wanting to intrude too much on his time with his daughter. Everything seemed fine now. Still, something Edward had said didn't sit quite right with me, and try as I might, I couldn't place my finger on it...

"Bella," Edward whispered. He was now leaning over his wife, clutching their child to his chest. "Bella, listen to me. There's someone very special here. The most special girl in the world. She'd like to meet you properly soon. You don't have to open your eyes, love, but please, just respond. Please, Bella?"

From the bed, there was nothing but the quickening beats of her heart. Edward slumped forward, worry etched across his face. I stared at the unresponsive girl.

_Bella._

There was a time, yes, when I would have gladly ended Bella's life to ensure our family's comfort. I loved my family. I wouldn't have necessarily chosen them myself, but they chose me. For the past fifty years, I'd happily lived among them, as one of them. But I was never at home. We were always moving, always leaving. I liked comfort. Familiarity. And long-lasting comfort was one thing we could never have.

And so, when Isabella Swan had stumbled into our lives, I could see how she would complicate events. We'd have to move. Leave our comfort zone. And meanwhile, Edward was not the familiar man I knew anymore. I'd wanted to put a stop to it. Quickly and painlessly.

I would have killed an innocent girl to maintain our happiness. Was that so wrong?

I hated change. I liked comfort.

And so, when Bella had telephoned me, anxious and afraid and certain of her near death, I had not hesitated to act. A child would bring the peace I had wanted for so long. At last, some comfort for my mother's heart. And a child had a deeper place in my heart than Bella. Back then, even after everything Bella had done for us, for Edward, I would risk her life for the sake of a child.

But I knew Bella now. She wasn't just the clumsy little girl who'd slipped her way into my life, she was family. We'd bonded over the last few weeks, and although at first I'd have placed Renesmee before Bella, now, I wasn't so sure.

I didn't hold Renesmee's life above Bella's. They were equal in my mind. They were both family.

Edward looked up, towards me.

"Thank you," was all he said. But it was enough. I knew now that the wedge I'd driven into our relationship was completely gone. Edward and I had never been particularly close, but over the last few years, we'd drifted further apart. I knew that up until this point, he'd never truly forgiven me for breaking the news of Bella's supposed 'death' so harshly to him. He might have thought that he did, but the trust and absolute forgiveness I saw in my brother's eyes now told me otherwise.

Renesmee gurgled, eager to be back in the spotlight. Edward laughed as she touched his cheek again.

"Yes, Renesmee," he whispered, kissing the child's forehead reverently. "Your mommy will be fine. She's strong, like Auntie Rosalie says. You'll meet her soon."

The little redhead pursed her lips, still concerned.

"And I'll be fine too."

She looked comforted by this.

Father and daughter gazed into each other's eyes, speaking and not speaking, both memorizing each other's faces in awe. I felt a sudden pang of loneliness. I needed Emmett. I needed to be anywhere but here. This moment was beautiful and private. No matter how complete our family was now, I couldn't be part of this moment. And I'd accepted that.

"I'll leave you in peace," I murmured, turning to leave.

A sharp cry sliced through the thickening silence. I turned back to the bed in alarm, thinking of Bella, poor Bella, in such incredible pain –

But it wasn't Bella who had cried out.

"Renesmee?" I whispered, shocked. Edward looked down at the little girl in his arms, half-shocked, half-amused.

"I see you've already made quite an impression on her," he said with a laugh. "It's okay, darling. Rosalie will still be here. She's just going downstairs. You'll see her soon."

Renesmee pressed her hand into her father's cheek a little more firmly.

"And you'll see Alice, and Esme and Carlisle. You'll see them all, every day of your life if you want to. Is that okay?"

She relaxed, curling up in her father's arms and pressing her cheek against his chest. He sighed, nestling his face into the wispy curls of her hair.

"Bye bye, Renesmee," I whispered. But she was already asleep. I turned to Edward, but his eyes were closed; he was humming a new composition under his breath, clutching his daughter protectively to his chest.

_I'll be back again soon,_ I warned him as I closed the door quietly on the little family. _There's still a lot to discuss. Bella, Chief Swan, the werewolves – _

I heard Edward growl lowly. I smiled. Of course, Edward knew from the moment it occurred that the dog had imprinted. Even if Bella forgave the mutt, I'd still have this encounter to look forward to. I could hardly wait for Edward and Jacob Black to next cross paths.

Edward chuckled at my thoughts, then returned to his quiet humming. It felt strange to walk down the stairs empty-handed, but I knew that Edward appreciated Renesmee far more than I did. If any one of us needed her, it was Edward. Proof that he was not evil, not selfish, not unredeemable.

Everybody had dispersed now, and the house was quiet. I found Emmett still waiting on the sofa we'd shared and I relaxed into his side with a sigh.

"Feeling alright?" he asked me. It was his not-so-subtle way of asking me if I wanted to talk more about Renesmee. About my inability to carry his children and the emptiness I felt whenever I saw a mother holding a child, or whenever Emmett's dimpled cheeks brought back the memories of little Henry on his mother's knee...

But I didn't feel empty. Not anymore. Now, when I thought of those things, I wasn't scared or upset. I didn't become nostalgic, mourning for the phantom child I would never hold.

Because the child was alive and well. And I'd held her tightly in my arms.

"No. I'm not feeling alright," I told Emmett. "I'm feeling... feeling whole."

And the smile that lit up his face told me that in that moment, he felt exactly the same way.

* * *

**A/N:** This story is now also available in Swedish, under the title "Stunder av Fullständighet och lycka". Many thanks to romanoew for the translation. The link to her version is on my profile, along with the Spanish and Portuguese versions of my stories.


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